


Home Once More

by femme4jack, Merfilly



Series: Future in the Making [1]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:49:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/femme4jack/pseuds/femme4jack, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ratchet returns to the Autobots on Mars after his trip to Cybertron. He brings new problems to his Prime, but surely they can find a way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Once More

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. This is a new story arc that connects to the "To Build a Future" series. In theory, it also connects to all of Patronus-verse, but continuity errors may creep in from time to time.
> 
> 2\. Mentions of the Hatchlings exist, and some characters evolved from those.
> 
> 3\. Editorial note: Pipes and Swerve were used to replace Hoist and Grapple from "To Build a Future" after we realized the continuity error Merfilly made in the most recent part of "To Build a Future".

There were two factors hindering Ratchet's ability to make certain Scion survived the newest upgrade. One was that Path Finder was in orbit and would be landing soon. The other was that Megatron was most eager to get the four Autobot prisoners off the planet as official exiles.

This led to a very unpleasant experience on Ratchet's part, because there was no way he was subjecting Path Finder to those tempers. While Pipes and Swerve seemed like they were slowly coming around to the concept of peace, having not even known that the pronouncements by Megatron were actually the truth, Chromia and Grimlock both considered him a treacherous enemy.

Not trusting Hook to induce medical stasis on the pair, yet incapable of slicing the firewalls completely by himself with both so fully guarded, Ratchet had turned to Blaster for help. The mechling was surprisingly easy-going and mellow for a Decepticon, but Ratchet was slowly realizing that the mechling had been as indulged as much as a symbiont. Once Blaster proved to be of a mature spark and processor, that relationship was going to turn ugly in Ratchet's opinion.

It left Ratchet a little ill on his tanks as he left the brig at Blaster's side, both Chromia and Grimlock in full stasis for the trip back to Mars. Forcing a mech into stasis they dd not choose was never his preferred method of dealing with problems. He did not have long to get it under control as Megatron peremptorily summoned him to the throne room.

It was a room that Ratchet had avoided this trip, too much a reminder of the despotic nature of his current host. He was, however, quite surprised to enter and see not one throne, but two, as was proper for the hall that should have been receiving supplicants of the population. Megatron sat in one, while Scion kept guard at the honor point. The empty one was inscribed with the glyph for the ruling Prime and remained empty.

Starscream was not in sight.

"Ratchet," Megatron began. "You will leave us soon, and I have a mind to know just what you think of Cybertron and the efforts here."

This was the point when Ratchet almost wished his former life as a politician was on tap for the actual skill of talking. Whatever he said here might spark the tyrant off, or worse. Yet Ratchet had never been one to hold his voice, and looking at Megatron, taking in that no one but Scion was present, he felt as if that was exactly Megatron's intent.

"It's a lot better than I anticipated," Ratchet admitted. "Gotta say, those mechs out in the city? Even the Autobots, for the most part? They think you're handling the effort real well. And maybe they're right, but you've got a lot to overcome, both in yourself, and with those still around you, if you expect the whole of my people to ever wish to come here and live under your rule." It was honest, positive and negative, and he waited to see how it set with the Protector.

"And that, Scion, is why I always did enjoy getting the medic riled up enough to speak," Megatron told his protégé. "He's blunt and honest."

Scion flicked his wings; he was under a debt to the medic, and did not like the feeling at all. Time and distance would solve that problem.

"Very well, Ratchet. When you tell my brother of events here, make certain to tell him I am using his lessons in compassion well," Megatron said with a wry twist of his mouth. Ratchet wasn't certain of that message, but he would bear it nonetheless.

"Tell me, Megatron, did you specifically send for me because you already knew?" Ratchet asked.

Megatron laughed. "I knew Optimus would send you or Wheeljack. Either one would be capable of figuring it out quickly, without my intercession."

"So what tipped you to the glitch's plans this time?" Ratchet needed to know, and hoped that it would spill the reason of why. Starscream, despite having been Megatron's first adherent, had been the downfall of Megatron's plans more than once.

Megatron snorted at the medic. His secrets were his own to keep, after all. The voices at the temple were for him alone, until everything was in position. "Let us just say that Scion was too much like the one I patterned him on."

"He carries it a little better," Ratchet said, just to dig in at Starscream, even if the glitch wasn't there to hear it. Scion visibly straightened his wings in pride.

"On a more serious note, Ratchet. If either Grimlock or Chromia act against my rule here, or against my brother's there, I will not show mercy again," Megatron informed the medic. He had read over the interrogation Soundwave had conducted, and dismissed the constructors as tools. "They are very much a threat to Optimus Prime."

Ratchet nodded brusquely. "Neither one's in their right processor. Prime can handle them." He prayed his confidence was correctly placed, for Ironhide's sake.

"We shall see." Megatron then flicked his talons in dismissal, and Ratchet took it for the escape he needed. Soon, he would be headed home, sure only of the fact that he was far happier on Mars than he could be on Cybertron.

`~`~`~`~`

Blaster found the space-former's mind easy to cloud, having come aboard as part of the team transferring the prisoners to her holds. Path Finder thought all of the team doing so had left, not noticing as Blaster settled in alt mode in a hold near the prisoners. With luck, Ratchet would not explore until they were en route to Earth's system, and he would make his escape.

The entire affair with the prisoners had the communicator questioning his existence. It was not that he was ungrateful to Soundwave for what he had been taught. More, it was the very fact he did feel that gratitude. Maybe it was from reading the Autobot Blaster's bio-data, or the imprint Soundwave had given him of the more personal encounters between them. Either way, Blaster had slowly realized over the half-vorn of his existence that he was far more... friendly than the average Decepticon officer.

Ratchet's warning about Soundwave had shaken his core, confirming what he suspected. The senior officer would tolerate him for now, but even Scorponok felt Soundwave was a threat to him in the long run. Added into that caution, Blaster had realized there might come a day when Megatron would prefer that no witnesses to his moment of mercy at the temple remained on Cybertron.

Once he had processed all of that, and then talked it out with Scorponok. his decision had come easy. He would leave, finish maturing among the Autobots who were said to be more open to the good emotions, and then decide his path from there.

`~`~`~`~`

The moment they broke from FTL driven flight, Ratchet reached to communicate with his Prime on a tightly bound frequency, blocking out the rest of the cohort from knowing he had returned.

::Optimus, I need you to insure Ironhide remains on Earth once we arrive at Mars,:: Ratchet informed his leader. ::There is a situation we need to deal with first. And you probably want to send Arcee away as well.::

::Understood, Ratchet. I am relieved that you have returned. Do you... require any repairs?:: Nothing in Optimus Prime's posture would have betrayed his sudden mixture of relief and alarm, but the nearest human member of his cohort paused at her work station and turned toward him with a look of concern. He gave her a gentle look, a slight shake of his head for her concern. She was, always, so aware of him, in the way that a dedicated consort needed to be.

::No. You, a security detail, and do not bring Mikaela to meet us when Path Finder lands. I think the medical stasis will hold, but she affects our kind strangely.:: Ratchet let his amusement for that fact come through. Trust the humans who had mutated to have unusual abilities on the very beings who caused the mutations. ::Two stasis-bound Autobots, in exile from Cybertron now, two more who are able to move on their own that should not go back for a long time, and... a stowaway. Of them all, I'm vouching for the two alert 'Bots, and the stowaway.::

::Understood, Ratchet.:: Prime closed the link, and readied himself for the eventual reveal on Ratchet's mystery. He chose three of his stronger fighters to accompany him, telling them all to be vigilant, and heed whatever Ratchet told them.

* * *

Finding Blaster had scared a vorn off Ratchet's existence, he was pretty certain, fearing Decepticon retaliation either for the rust-bit's 'abduction' or Blaster actually being a saboteur sent to extinguish them all. Blaster had made it clear he was there of his own free will, a time delay message had been left to explain his disappearance, and that he earnestly did want to learn new things.

"There's Esperanza," Ratchet said to the stowaway, symbiont, and the two Autobot construct class mechs, while simultaneously transmitting the glyphs that made up the Cybertronian designation for the city. The lights and structures of the clearly Cybertronian-style settlement revealed themselves as Path Finder made her approach deeper into the Valles Marinares. Ratchet watched the young mech carefully for his reaction. As cautiously impressed as the medic had been with Megatron's efforts, the Autobot outposts of Lilx on Earth and Esperanza on Mars were home to him, places where he had been able to indulge his interests beyond what had dominated his functioning ever since since onlining from his reformat.

"The designation for this city is understandable, but why did you name the outpost on Earth for a word that means 'dirt'?" Blaster asked.

"It's... both a joke and an homage to a Seeker who sacrificed himself for that planet, and the language is that which was originally spoken in that area before it was conquered by another group," Ratchet explained, recalling fondly the efforts Jazz and Mikaela had put into deciding on a name for the base and embassy they'd built at Mt. Saint Hilary.

"Oh." Blaster considered that, and wondered if studying another race's warfare history would help him put his own into perspective. There were so many opportunities now, away from Soundwave's teaching, and things he had picked up in his few incursions into the city around the palace.

"It looks like Hoist and Grapple's work," Pipes said cautiously, having been conferring with his partner rapidly over comms with expansions and improvements he could already envision for the settlement built into the walls of the massive rift.

Swerve was in agreement. It would be good to build, and have it truly meant to be a monument of peace without the terror of Decepticon handiwork looming over his helm.

"I'm sure they're going to be glad to have more of their class joining them," Ratchet said as he watched something flicker in both their fields, something he knew to be hope.

Path Finder cleared her voice to catch their attention. "Ready for touch down? Still getting used to the variance in gravity compared to my home-world, and that of Earth."

"Bring us in, Path Finder," Ratchet responded, his frame shifting to clamp to the seat while the others did the same. Despite her warning, the touch down in the brightly lit hangar built directly into the cliff face was completely smooth. Ratchet gave Blaster another sidelong glance as Optimus came into view, waiting for them to disembark.

Optimus was waiting with Hot Rod on his right, Springer and Sandstorm just to the sides and front of them. The youngest of the waiting party was looking as antsy and pent-up with energy as he always did, but then Hot Rod was still adjusting to the fact Optimus Prime had taken him under wing to learn the mechanics of leadership. Springer, as professional as he always was, took in the Decepticon symbol marking Blaster as they exited Path Finder with Pipes and Swerve behind them.

"The two in stasis are in the forward hold closest to the ramp, Optimus," Ratchet told his Prime. "Do I have one Pits-ridden, glitch-taken tale for you."

"I am sure that you do," Optimus replied, one hand grasping his cohort mate's shoulder. "Welcome to Esperanza, Pipes and Swerve. I am pleased to see both of you functioning," Optimus greeted the two Autobots first, knowing that Ratchet would wish to introduce the mech who was not known to him. "Hot Rod will show you to your quarters, and I will speak with you personally once I have received Ratchet's report and you have had an opportunity to refresh yourselves and recharge. Sandstorm, have First Aid and Grapple assist in transferring the two in stasis to Medical."

"You got it," Hot Rod said cheerfully, bouncing over to shake hands with Pipes and Swerve, who looked beyond perplexed at the custom.

"It's a human greeting ritual on meeting new people," Springer explained to the pair. "Be thankful he's out of his love affair with bowing."

"Oh." One after the other, they took the offered hand, awkwardly, before following Hot Rod out of the bay.

Sandstorm commed for assistance as ordered, going inside to see who the pair were.

The whole time, Ratchet was just watching them, soaking up Prime's resonance, needing it to steady himself. He then looked up at the leader, before turning his body toward Blaster. "Optimus, meet Blaster, Soundwave's protégé, and one of the mechlings closest to full upgrade from Cybertron," he said very neutrally, using the full glyph that indicated Blaster had been named in honor of their own fallen comrade. "And he's the cheerful keeper of Scorponok, too."

"I am honored to meet you, Prime," Blaster told him in the full, high language of court.

"The honor is mine, Blaster. A new generation is a sign of great hope and comfort to me. I am pleased that Scorponok has found such a worthy partner." Optimus transmitted glyphs along with his formal greeting acknowledging that the symbiont's former partner was also one who was 'worthy' and 'respected'. "I am sure we have much to discuss with one another, but if you will allow Springer to show you to your quarters for now, I must take Ratchet's report."

"Of course, Prime." Blaster continued to use the glyph that meant the office and holder of it, a more formal designation than utilizing the name glyphs would have implied. Blaster turned to inspect the rotor-class Autobot, and listened to all Scorponok knew of the mech. Considering that Scorponok had originally partnered a rotor-class, that turned out to be quite a bit.

"Come on, mech," Springer said lazily. "Tell Scorponok not to scare you with anything about me. I'm full on for the peace we're building," he reassured.

Watching them walk out, Ratchet had the distinct impression that Blaster was going to be audial-deep in learning all he could of everyone new for at least a breem. The mechling's spark was solid; of that, Ratchet was certain.

"Your office?" Ratchet asked with a steadying hand out on Prime's frame, more worn out by the trip than he ever dared show on Cybertron.

"My quarters," Optimus corrected him, guiding and partially supporting him as they headed in that direction. He was well aware that Ratchet had injuries that were plated over, but not repaired and only partially healed. "You can give me your report from the berth. Though I'm tempted to have First Aid repair you first."

Ratchet scowled. "He's about to have his hands full enough. Knock Out patched the worst of it under my supervision." He did not protest the change of venue though. "Arcee and 'Hide on Earth? Or did you just send her off to the human outpost?"

"Ironhide was already on Earth, assisting Ultra Magnus in a training operation which happened to coincide with Annabelle Lennox's due date," Optimus said, letting amusement color his tone despite his concern both over what Ratchet would be reporting and his own condition "I sent Arcee to the human outpost."

They entered a lift that took them deeper into the settlement. With no human present, it moved far faster than would have been comfortable or even safe for an organic life form.

"I'm glad you didn't have to fabricate a reason to get him off planet, Optimus. Knowing him, he would have gotten suspicious and balked." Ratchet leaned against the lift wall. "I brought back two dangerous Autobots, Optimus. Maybe even dangerous to us, and that's not just Megatron's parting warning ringing in my processor."

::Chromia,:: Optimus commed rather than spoke as they walked the corridor toward his quarters, putting the pieces together as to why it had been particularly important for Ironhide to be as far away as possible. The door slid open, and they entered the comfortable, spacious suite that felt like such a luxury to the Prime after so many vorns of existing in war. "I thought she was deactivated. We all did."

Ratchet went straight to the overly large, even for Optimus's frame build, berth, and proceeded to make himself completely comfortable. He would rest most of his systems while he reported, he decided. "I'm not sure how she survived. We had Arcee's eye-witness account, and we had the confirmation in the bonds severing." He sent a wave of compassion to his leader for that other loss on the same day. "From my initial scan, I'm betting the outpost they were on was salvaged by Junkions, and she wasn't as deactivated as we thought, but critically close to it. After all, we all lost Jazz's bond initially, and we were right there with him when he nearly deactivated."

"Ironhide's as well," Optimus said, remembering all of the lost bonds far too vividly, for all that the two recent near losses had been fully restored to them without the bonds fully severing. It had been with a great deal of trepidation that Optimus had allowed Ratchet to go to Cybertron. Cohort-losses were still far too close a reality to him. He pulled a cube of fuel out of his subspace and handed it to the medic. "Tell me what happened, or would you rather share the memory files?"

Ratchet snorted. "I'll share the memories... after I tell you why that slagger called for me or 'Jack to come there!" His voice rose in amusement at the reason he'd been away from his people. "You met Blaster. Hook had one too, calling him Longarm. And there were others, at least two broods younger than those two... and the one I was called for. Seems Megatron decided to fill the holes in his command by training up replacements." The medic's optics were wickedly bright. "Even the treacherous viper of a jet."

Optimus sat down next to Ratchet on the berth, the sound of his hydraulics smooth after forty years of relative peace. "This... does not truly surprise me. He is as empty without his anchor as I nearly was. And considering who we are all but certain donated the code for the first brood..." Prime's voice trailed off in regret. So many times he had spared Starscream, unable to take from his brother the dysfunctional, but anchoring bond both Decepticons would have denied being present, but which Prime could sense even through the weak bond his Lord High Protector had once rejected with him.

"Scion, the mechling's designation, granted to him by Megatron himself, was as much like that glitch as could be, outside of the fact he really did worship the ground Megatron walked on. Problem was, and somehow Megatron knew it, the original glitch's spark hadn't completely given out on existing. Kind of like Sunstreaker, but no anchoring body? Megatron didn't trust Hook to handle it in a way that left him both his traitor and the promising rust-bit, which is why he asked you to send me or 'Jack." Ratchet snorted. "Way I see it, Megatron plans to use them both to foil one another, and expects them to work together against whatever Soundwave or Hook is plotting."

Optimus realized as he listened to this bizarre turn of events that very little surprised him any longer, after all of the strangeness he had experienced even before Earth, but especially since he and his cohort had arrived in this system. That Starscream would have what the humans called a ghost, who would cling to the promise of embodied existence, almost felt expected to him, as though the Matrix would predict nothing less. Sparks, he knew from the meditations he had once had connected to the AllSpark, never truly extinguished from all dimensions of reality, though some held on to their energetic patterns more tenaciously than others. "I take it you were successful then? Megatron had better hope the two do not ever decide to team up against his own rule rather than foiling one another in their own plots."

"They loathe each other," Ratchet promised Optimus. "And yes. I would have liked to stay to be certain Scion's upgrade was holding well; I had to splinter his spark to give Starscream's new frame an anchor point for his energies, but everything else meant I needed to come home." He took a deep breath, then snaked his data cables out. "I can't even say all of the rest. So... just let me jack in and show you."

"Of course," Optimus replied, spiraling open the required ports and extending his own cables with the relaxed ease of cohort. "But then you will let me take a look at your damaged systems and make a determination whether to have First Aid attend to immediately, or after you recharge. The others can remain in stasis until _you_ are fully attended to." Implicit in the words was the promise that Prime would use all his skills as cohort-mate and lover to make sure that recharge was deep and without interruptions, if needed.

"Pushy," Ratchet groused at him, but he slid home the connections, dropping his firewalls around the necessary memory segments, showing his Prime everything from landing to leaving, with all of Ratchet's own extrapolations from what he'd experienced. While the incident with Chromia had shaken Ratchet, Megatron listening to Ratchet's demand for mercy had staggered him far more than he had truly processed yet.

Optimus took it all, and simultaneously using his own energies and intimate knowledge of the medic's systems to sooth and relax with the reminder that he was now with cohort, safe and cared for by a tightly knit circle of sparks who would help deal with whatever aftermath came when Chromia onlined. ~Perhaps he truly has changed, and our cautious hope is not a false one,~ Optimus mused as he continued to renew his connections with the medic. ~And perhaps fortuitous that Ironhide has very few of his memories of Chromia intact,~ he added.

For himself, Optimus was not certain which of the two Autobots in stasis caused him more concern, should they truly be unable to come to terms with peace. Both Chromia and Grimlock were warriors who could cause significant havoc should they continue to refuse the terms of the treaty with Megatron, and Optimus knew that if he had to offline them to ensure that peace continued, he would, but with the deepest of regrets and real harm to his own spark. He held those thoughts carefully behind his own firewalls, however.

~She didn't know he lived; it hit her hard, might be the angle I need to use on her,~ Ratchet commented even as he felt every system nudging more fully toward true recharge. ~And I'll believe in Megatron when the humans prove the fat guy in the red suit is real.~ He let that be flavored with light-hearted amusement, though, knowing how much Prime wanted to believe they had made the right choices that long gone day in the aftermath of Sentinel Prime's destruction.

~With all we have seen, would humans proving the existence of Santa Claus surprise you?~ Optimus asked, his own amusement filtering through their bond as he continued to purposefully deepen Ratchet's relaxation. It would not even take an overload to make the medic fully rest, though Optimus was certain that had it been the anchoring partner rather than himself, that step would not have been skipped. The question that lingered behind his own firewalls was whether Chromia would truly accept that Ironhide, as he was now, was the same warrior she bonded with so long ago when his cohort was forging their alliance with the dangerous femmes.

~Prob'ly not,~ Ratchet slurred, before he gave up and continued the orderly shutdown he needed. Later, there could be a good overload or three to defrag the mess out of his system. For now, rest.


End file.
